Pet Mod Legends Z-A OU

[dhelmise]

Welcome to Legends ZA OU! In this Pet Mod, we will have a speculative metagame based on the Pokemon and items currently usable in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, in a what-if on them being allowed in the turn-based battle mode. This Pet Mod will have minor changes, namely the new Mega Evolutions having proper abilities. Because this Pet Mod is based off of a Pokemon game, we will be using the personal data from Legends: Z-A for learnsets, stats, etc. with the exception of Mega Starmie. Terastallization will also be unusable. The final change is that every Pokemon will have its National Dex movesets on top of the moves they learn in Legends: Z-A; this is mainly because otherwise there would be every single entry hazard but zero hazard removal or Heavy-Duty Boots, and that is just not fun!

Submission Rules

Currently no formal submission process due to the minimal speculation this Pet Mod requires. However, if you have a better idea for a speculative Mega ability, feel free to explain why in this thread with the following format:

[b]Mega Evolution:
New Ability:
Ability Description (if it doesn't currently exist):
Reasoning: [/b]

Ruleset

Because this metagame is intended to sit at an OU-adjacent power level, there will unfortunately be some bans for balancing reasons.

Clauses: Team Preview, Sleep Moves Clause, HP Percentage Mod, Cancel Mod, Endless Battle Clause, Species Clause, Nickname Clause, OHKO Clause, Evasion Moves Clause

Pokemon bans:

• Alakazam-Mega
• Blastoise-Mega
• Gengar-Mega
• Kangaskhan-Mega
• Lucario-Mega
• Mewtwo
• Mewtwo-Mega-X
• Mewtwo-Mega-Y
• Salamence-Mega
• Xerneas
• Yveltal
• Zygarde
• Zygarde-Complete
• Zygarde-Mega

Ability bans:

• Arena Trap
• Moody
• Power Construct
• Shadow Tag

Item bans:

• King's Rock
• Quick Claw

Move bans:

• Baton Pass

Important Links

The Pet Mods room
Legends Z-A OU discord

 

[dhelmise]

Thanks to emillight, Meteordash, Kennedy, Eli, and Sectonia for letting me bounce ideas off of them while writing/coding this!

Current Ability Assignments

Clefable-Mega: Serene Grace
Victreebel-Mega: Corrosion
Starmie-Mega: Pure Power, -40 Atk
Dragonite-Mega: Soul-Heart
Meganium-Mega: Flower Veil
Feraligatr-Mega: Dragon's Maw
Skarmory-Mega: Tough Claws
Gallade-Mega: Sharpness
Froslass-Mega: Snow Warning
Emboar-Mega: Supreme Overlord
Excadrill-Mega: Mold Breaker
Audino-Mega: Regenerator
Scolipede-Mega: Tinted Lens
Scrafty-Mega: Shed Skin
Eelektross-Mega: Ion Battery (Levitate + Plus + Minus)
Chandelure-Mega: Flash Fire
Chesnaught-Mega: Protective Thorns (Bulletproof + Iron Barbs)
Delphox-Mega: Levitate
Greninja-Mega: Technician
Pyroar-Mega: Drought
Dragalge-Mega: Regenerator
Floette-Mega: Ange (Recover 1/12 max HP every turn, vs Megas: Drain 1/10 of their HP every turn instead)
Malamar-Mega: Contrarian (Contrary + Simple)
Barbaracle-Mega: Tough Claws
Hawlucha-Mega: Luchador's Pride (Moxie but for Speed)
Zygarde-Mega: Aura Break
Drampa-Mega: Drizzle
Falinks-Mega: Brass Bond (Moves hit 3 times, 2nd/3rd hits do 15% damage of the first hit, 2nd/3rd hits don't have additional effects)

 

[Mozonite]

Please let Mega Malamar set Trick Room on entry. Can even just be once per game.


Just as a treat.


Please.

 

[aeth]

Please let Mega Malamar set Trick Room on entry. Can even just be once per game.

If this happens then I'm expecting 10 mons that set tailwind up when switching in on my office desk by noon.

 

[ThestralZVGC]

Is it at all in the cards to make a doubles version of this for VGC players to mess around with? Other than that this is very cool, thanks for making!

 

[Yech]

I would personally like to question serene grace on Clefable simply due to the uncompetitive nature of the ability. Clefable itself doesn't learn any flinch moves (at least the ZA OU teambuilder doesn't say so) so the most uncompetitive aspect of the ability isn't present sure but I'd rather pokemon not get an ability that just encourages hax fishing. Some ideas I have include:
Natural Cure: For a timid pokemon, an ability that activates on switching out makes a lot of sense and it means using Magic Guard pre mega and absorbing status can't bite you in the butt after you mega
Infiltrator: A bit of a stretch but it can float by manipulating gravity around it, perchance it floats up your screens and your substitutes to attack past them
Aroma Veil: Another fairy ability that could be potentially nice for setup variants

Please just no serene grace i hate that ability SO much

 

[Punchshroom]

Clefable-Mega: Serene Grace
I opted for Serene Grace over Aerilate or Magic Guard because its Pokedex entry describes it being very timid, and I also feel like Aerilate is way too anticipated/overdone. Open to other ideas though.

Mega Clefable honestly feels like the most appropriate candidate for Aerilate (even including prior Megas). After all, Clefable used to be Normal-type before Fairy existed, and this allows Clefable to breathe new life into all of the Normal attacks it used to have STAB on and convert them into new STAB once more.

Gallade-Mega: Sharpness
What? This isn't a new mega?! Steadfast sucks.

FYI Mega Gallade has Inner Focus, which at least has been buffed recently, but honestly I'm almost down for Mega Gallade to have a custom Ability to combine both of these abilities.

Malamar-Mega: Contrary
This was the only non-custom ability this Pokemon could justifiably have with how generally bad its stats are. Open to suggestions.

Since we're on board with making custom abilities for other Megas already, Mega Malamar seems like a shoe-in for its own, especially one that still references its whole inversion theme. I've seen suggestions running around like "Super Contrary" (-1 becomes +2. but also vice versa) and the completely original do-not-steal "auto-Trick Room", but honestly I think "auto-Topsy Turvy on entry" would make for a uniquely powerful identity in itself.

 

[SDK03]

Just to ask, have any changes been made to the Pokemon movepools? i.e. Starmie getting Bulk Up and all? I’d also like to point out that most of Gen 9’s Pokemon are marked “non-existant” in this metagame.

 

[DDart]

I'm sure you're already aware, but I thought I'd say here just in case: the mega mons that aren't in Gen 9 currently don't have any moves. Namely Drampa, Starmie, Scolipede, Barbaracle and Zygarde-10%, as well as any old megas that were taken out in Gen 9.

 

[dhelmise]

Hi, there were some typos in my code. Learnsets will be fixed momentarily.

 

[DDart]

Just to ask, have any changes been made to the Pokemon movepools? i.e. Starmie getting Bulk Up and all?

"Because this Pet Mod is based off of a Pokemon game, we will be using the personal data from Legends: Z-A for learnsets, stats, etc. with the exception of Mega Starmie. Terastallization will also be unusable.The final change is that every Pokemon will have its National Dex movesets on top of the moves they learn in Legends: Z-A"

Top of the post.

 

[Yech]

From what I've seen, ZA movesets haven't been implimented into teambuilder so my previous post's point of it doesn't have flinch moves isn't confirmed yet but if it has air slash or any flinch move, even with 70 speed it won't be a fun pokemon to go up against especially thanks to paralysis from thunder/thunder wave.

 

[Bobsican]

Mega Evolution: Mega Malamar
New Ability: No Guard
Ability Description (if it doesn't currently exist):
Reasoning: Mega Malamar is all about Hypnosis, so I'd think that it'd be reasonable for it to lean into that role viably.

Mega Evolution: Mega Dragonite
New Ability: Aerilate
Ability Description (if it doesn't currently exist):
Reasoning: While Soul-Heart sounds nice on paper, flavor-wise it makes no real sense as Mega Dragonite doesn't have an artificial soul within it (like the original user, Magearna), and thus doesn't fit the intent of the ability. If the intent is to lean on its generosity at ending battles as fast as possible Aerilate may be a legitimate choice, especially as Dragonite is already known for its speed, and the dex also emphatizes on its increased flight capability upon Mega Evolving.

Mega Evolution: Mega Chandelure
New Ability: Nightmare Heart
Ability Description (if it doesn't currently exist): If the user faints, this ability replaces the one's of the opponent for the rest of the battle even if they switch out.
Reasoning: Taking a page from Megas for All, this ability enables Mega Chandelure to be incredibly disruptive, forcing chains of ability suppression every time a Pokemon with it faints.

 

[Adeleine]

I don't understand the logic by which you're assigning abilities. Some are very grounded in data and flavor, while others are "I personally thought this was cool." There doesn't seem to be one goal in which I'd ground idea suggestions. The PS News post that brought me here said the ladder was speculative, and the framing of "Legends Z-A OU" implies it is speculative, but here you say there's minimal speculation required.

Could you clarify on what the goal of this format is?

This feels buzzkill, but I think a ladder pitched as OU-like, "what might be", "giving the userbase a chance to use the Pokemon they couldn't otherwise" ladder should prioritize speculative design-based guesses over a Solomod-esque "I thought this was cool" philosophy.

 

[April]

Hear me out....

Mega Evolution: Skarmory
New Ability: Gale Wings
Reasoning: The dex has always made a big deal about Skarmory being able to fly at ~300 km/hr, with this speed "allowing it to fly freely in the sky". With Z-A, they made a defined point to make Mega Skarmory fly at the speed of sound (twice as fast as Talonflame!), whipping up shock waves with its immense speed to discombobulate the opponent. Design-wise, the Flying-type currently sits the fence between air elemental and "bird type", meaning Gale Wings could reasonably apply to both "thing with fast flight" and "thing with fast control over air", and Mega Skarmory's dex entry implies both.

 

[SDK03]

"Because this Pet Mod is based off of a Pokemon game, we will be using the personal data from Legends: Z-A for learnsets, stats, etc. with the exception of Mega Starmie. Terastallization will also be unusable.The final change is that every Pokemon will have its National Dex movesets on top of the moves they learn in Legends: Z-A"

Top of the post.

Just noticed that lol

 

[dunderguy]

- I would definitely keep Magic Guard, or maybe a different ability such as Air Lock or Delta Stream

- Really big pieces of metal, Id give it Steelworker or Steely Spirit

- “This Pokémon draws in hatred and converts it into power” either Adaptability or Ghost type Electromorphosis could be good

- The mega suggests how it protects its allies, id give it Fur Coat

- Like another comment said, auto Trick Room

- Hear me out on Swift Swim. Its dex mentioned it being more younger (possibly more agile), while dealing with storms.


Thank you so much for this! I really appreciate the effort to giving mons new abilities

 

[GRASSY_STORM!!~~]

I feel like Scolipede could be steelworker/steely spirit or heavy metal/full metal body from its design perspective

 

[dhelmise]

I don't understand the logic by which you're assigning abilities. Some are very grounded in data and flavor, while others are "I personally thought this was cool." There doesn't seem to be one goal in which I'd ground idea suggestions. The PS News post that brought me here said the ladder was speculative, and the framing of "Legends Z-A OU" implies it is speculative, but here you say there's minimal speculation required.

Could you clarify on what the goal of this format is?

This feels buzzkill, but I think a ladder pitched as OU-like, "what might be", "giving the userbase a chance to use the Pokemon they couldn't otherwise" ladder should prioritize speculative design-based guesses over a Solomod-esque "I thought this was cool" philosophy.

yeah i designed this on my own in the span of like 30 minutes and clearly said im open to suggestions, i dont understand the abrasiveness? this format has existed for 10 minutes

 

[SDK03]

Mega Evolution: Mega Scolipede
New Ability: Tinted Lens
Reasoning: Come on, giving a slow Bug/Poison type “Merciless” is kicking it down. And you don’t kick down an offensive Pokemon with that bad of an offensive typing. Also, it’s slow, frail (that HP makes the Def/SpD buffs less impactful) and forced to rely on 85%-Acc-at-most moves walled by Steel-types enough that even with Tinted Lens it isn’t gonna be anything ridiculous. Gives enough of a boost against some things it struggles with, but the metal birds and Moltres are still comfy against it for the most part. There’s also a little thematic sense to that in Scolipede’s mind being honed by Mega Evolution kinda gives it a tunnel-vision in a way, so boom Tinted Lens.

 

[Bobsican]

@ those saying Trick Room on switch-in, that has historically been broken in Pet Mods in an higher power level on shitmons like Beheeyem (cough Sylvemons), so please do not. However, if it's limited to a trigger limitation on it only being active if a Pokemon with the ability to set it is on the field (like Desolate Land), then that's a whole other story, but even then that proved to be strong on a mon with base 85 Speed (it was later nerfed by making it have base 110 Speed instead).

 

[DDart]

I understand Adeleine's point, but this meta was always going to be speculative. dhelmise has said that they're open to suggestions and I've taken that to mean a lot of these "i thought it was cool" abilities that Ade complains about will be replaced by ones with more flavor when they are suggested. Completely fair imo, and it lets the community have input on the abilities themselves which is really neat.

 

[Snorby]

Mega Evolution: Excadrill-Mega
New Ability: Tough Claws
Reasoning: I mean... look at those claws! Tough Claws always felt like an ability Excadrill would have had if it existed in Gen 5, particularly because it would make Drill Run stronger than EQ. Mega drill is pretty heavily focused on breaking power, and this augments it without being too absurd.

Mega Evolution: Scolipede-Mega
New Ability: Filter / Moxie
Reasoning: Two suggestions here, since Merciless just doesn't really do a lot for it. Filter seems like a good fit to help prop up its bulk a little more, because it's clearly designed as a more defensive mega but is super held back by 60 base HP and a weak defensive typing. Moxie fits the pokedex entry a little better, though, because that highlights that the venom affects Scolipede's mind and heightens its viciousness. That feels like it fits really well with Moxie, an ability given to ferocious Pokemon like Salamence and Krookodile that makes you grow stronger after each kill.

Mega Evolution: Scrafty-Mega
New Ability: Shed Skin
Reasoning: I think Shed Skin is probably the best choice for its ability since its skin is highlighted so much in the design, and Scrafty-Mega's stats are already mostly focused on buffing it's attack so providing some more defensive utility seems like it would help make it more viable without breaking it the way Intimidate would.

 

[ThestralZVGC]

Mega Evolution: Scolipede-Mega
New Ability: Filter / Moxie
Reasoning: Two suggestions here, since Merciless just doesn't really do a lot for it. Filter seems like a good fit to help prop up its bulk a little more, because it's clearly designed as a more defensive mega but is super held back by 60 base HP and a weak defensive typing. Moxie fits the pokedex entry a little better, though, because that highlights that the venom affects Scolipede's mind and heightens its viciousness. That feels like it fits really well with Moxie, an ability given to ferocious Pokemon like Salamence and Krookodile that makes you grow stronger after each kill.

I feel like moxie scolipede is a bit too good because you could stall your mega to get speed boost buffs and maybe swords dance and then just sweep unopposed with moxie

 

[Kizaco]

Mega falinks Iron head has a 65% chance to flinch and it gets trailblaze for +3 speed. It feels really good